At this point, everyone knows the old saying, “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.” But buying office clothes to build an office wardrobe is more expensive than expected. There are 260 workdays in the year, and you need 260 outfits to wear at the office.

They don’t have to be all different, but to make a good impression, they should all look stylish and appropriate. Your work wardrobe should include more items than your weekend one because dressing well at work helps you make a good impression, and even get a new promotion.

You may think you need an enormous work wardrobe to put together some fashionable work outfits, but the trick is to build a capsule wardrobe that allows you to mix the items in countless combinations. If you put together a capsule collection of basics that would enable you to create a new look each day of the month, who would be able to say you have only 20 items to wear in your wardrobe?

What is a capsule wardrobe?

You may not be familiar with the term capsule wardrobe so that this paragraph will answer the above question. What is a capsule wardrobe? It’s mainly a collection of a select number of items you can mix and match to make unique outfits. It contains minimalist elements you can wear through the years, even if the trends change. The average capsule collection includes 10 to 20 items that work together, and you can easily interchange them and put together creative outfits. A capsule collection goal is to minimize the number of clothing items you purchase, so you can save money. From an artistic standpoint, these wardrobes are gold mines because they allow you always to wear a different outfit that accessorized with distinct jewelry and shoes, looks unique each time.

A capsule collection is perfect for someone always on the run because it gets you a less headache in the morning when you’re in a rush to get dressed to arrive at the office in time.

What should you include in your work capsule collection?

Before picking items, choose a color palette, you feel comfortable to wear. It’s best to pick from two to four colors, to easily mix them. Many of the essential items, every work wardrobe should include may already be in your closet, but you probably never paid them too much attention. Before going shopping, check if you own: six shirts, five bottoms, two jackets, two dresses, two bags and six pairs of shoes.

However, not all shirts, skirts, and dresses are compatible with a work wardrobe, so you must consider some aspects. For the skirts to be office-appropriate, pick the ones in knee-length size. Even if you work in a relaxed environment, you don’t want to turn heads in the wrong way. Never wear sleeveless tops at the office. To look professional, you must cover up you’re your arms and chest. Also, if you like cropped or tapered pants, pair them with heels or flats.

Steps to follow when building the capsule work wardrobe

Figure out what the dress code is

Most companies have a dress code and train their employees in their early days to meet their requirements.

When you figure out your job’s dress code, go through your wardrobe and pull out the pieces that match the style. Then put on a different shelf all the other items because you’ll wear them only during weekends. Usually, corporate dress code prohibits employees from wearing shorts, distressed jeans, crop tops, or anything too revealing.

Pick the color palette

After you take out of your wardrobe the items you can wear at the office, you can determine the color palette you prefer. A simple glance at the clothes you put aside will tell you the primary two or three colors that make for the most of your pieces. From here, you must decide what neutrals you like. Most people pick navy, pale pink or yellow, gray, white, black, and nudes. Knowing your favorite color palette helps you pick new items. To save money, use Ashley Stewart coupons and promo codes, the brand has many office clothes in neutral shades you can add to your capsule collection.

To add some variety to your wardrobe, buy a few printed and patterned items. A playful aesthetic makes your outfits look more stylish and intricate. Remember, all the elements in your wardrobe should work together to get the best of it.

Select and edit

After you put together some piles of clothes, you want to edit the closet to be able to streamline your looks. Only because some items share the same features, they don’t make good fits for your office capsule collection. And this is when you sort and edit the clothes already gathered. For example, you may like nude skirts, but you don’t have to include all of them in the office wardrobe. Pick the two most flattering and versatile ones, and put the others in the drawer you use for casual clothes.

Identify seasonal necessities

Depending on the area where you work and the weather each season brings, you must examine the capsule collection and identify the seasonal pieces. While you can wear some items the entire year, others like wool sweaters are more seasonal elements, and you must put them aside during warmer months. Put the seasonal necessities on a piece of paper and check the list when the time comes.

It’s best to create a functional than fashionable wardrobe.

Are there any holes in your wardrobe?

The capsule is almost ready; at this moment, you only need to process and organize the clothes in groups to determine if there are any gaps. We listed above how many of each item you need, so when you sort them in groups, you can identify the holes and complete the wardrobe with new elements. It’s best to take pictures of multiple combinations of clothes to help you pick up outfits in the morning.